Web · Ebook

Three.js: 3D Graphics for the Web

by Shriira Press

A comprehensive, self-contained guide to Three.js, the library that brings real-time 3D graphics to the browser — the engine behind interactive product viewers, data visualizations, games, art, and immersive web experiences. Three.js wraps the low-level WebGL API in an approachable scene-graph model, so you build 3D worlds out of meshes, materials, lights, and cameras instead of writing raw GPU code. This book teaches it from first principles: the Scene/Camera/Renderer trio, 3D transformations, geometry and materials, lights and shadows, the animation loop, loading models, interaction, shaders, performance, and shipping. It blends intuition (how 3D rendering works), concepts (the API and the math behind it), and runnable code.

Contents

1. 1Preface
2. 2Chapter 1 — What Is Three.js?
3. 3Chapter 2 — The Three Pillars: Scene, Camera, Renderer
4. 4Chapter 3 — 3D Space: Coordinates, Transforms, and the Scene Graph
5. 5Chapter 4 — Geometry: Meshes, Primitives, and Custom Geometry
6. 6Chapter 5 — Materials and Textures
7. 7Chapter 6 — Lights and Shadows
8. 8Chapter 7 — Cameras and Controls
9. 9Chapter 8 — The Animation Loop and Motion
10. 10Chapter 9 — Loading Models and Assets
11. 11Chapter 10 — Interaction: Raycasting and Events
12. 12Chapter 11 — Shaders and Custom Materials
13. 13Chapter 12 — Post-Processing, Performance, and Optimization
14. 14Chapter 13 — The Ecosystem, React Three Fiber, and Shipping
15. 15Appendix A — Glossary and API Quick Reference
16. 16Appendix B — Further Reading and Resources